Training
by Aurora de la Noche
Summary: Harry goes to Auror recruitment... How do you test a powerful wizard, especially the Boy Who Lived?


Training  
  
Aurora de la Noche  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc, etc.  
  
A/N: No, not part of Discovering Fan Fiction. Apologies- I'll try to get that out sometime soon. Hopefully. Anyway, a plot-bunny appeared, and I followed. This resulted. Could be fun. . Or not. Please to review anyway, though. (-:  
  
  
  
First days always made Harry nervous. For some reason, they always seemed to include lines, and waiting was one of his least favourite pastimes. He could remember vividly his first day at Hogwarts, seven long years ago. The line then had led to the Sorting Ceremony, where (subconsciously, at least) he'd known that there would be a place for him. Now, if he failed the test awaiting him, he'd be lucky to leave with his memory intact.  
  
It was the first day of Auror training. Sure, they'd recruited him. He hadn't been surprised, being THE Harry Potter and all, but a name could only take him so far. He'd received top marks in Defense, Transfiguration, and Charms, but those had all been in school, and standing here, seemed long ago and juvenile.  
  
"I'm not one for intimidating. Be glad for that." A gruff voice made itself heard (sonorus, Harry thought) over the nervous din. "You all know why you're here. When I call your name, you'll follow me, you'll do what I tell you, and you'll leave. Whether you come back or not, that's up to you. While it's not your turn, wait here. You all seem to be gifted enough at that. Longbottom!"  
  
Harry was surprised; he hadn't noticed Neville in the corridor. Now, though, he gave his friend and former dorm-mate as encouraging smile and thumbs-up as he could manage. Neville turned a watery smile on Harry, then drew himself up and walked remarkably calmly to follow the Auror. Harry looked around, this time at his fellow hopefuls. Hannah Abbot was the only other former Hogwarts student he could immediately identify. Guess they're not going alphabetically, then, Harry thought warily. He remembered well enough that Aurors were unconventional (to say the least), but had thought he'd have enough time to prepare, in the middle of the alphabet.  
  
Several uneventful moments passed, in which Harry inspected dirt under his right thumbnail, made sure he had his wand, and debated whether or not he should go talk to Hannah, who seemed close to nervous tears. He had just decided that he should, when Neville reappeared. He looked jubilant, and not under the effects of any memory charms.  
  
"They said I can't tell you what happens in there, but Harry, it was great!" Neville said in an excited whisper. "I passed!" Just as Harry gave Neville a manly sign of approval (hearty handshake into a half-hug), the original Auror came up again. He glared at Neville, as though he suspected that he had told Harry everything.  
  
"Po-" The man started to bellow. Then he took another look at Harry and leaned in. "Maybe it would do you good to see this before your turn, boy," he whispered. "Cheshire!" This to the general gathered.  
  
A red haired boy who looked to be about two years older than Harry and Neville stepped up to the Auror and grinned cheekily at the group of three girls to whom he had been chatting. Harry had seen him before, and had pegged this guy as a shoo-in. The strapping lad followed the Auror with every bit of confidence that he could put into his walk without seeming arrogant. He already held his wand and was twirling it idly between his long fingers.  
  
"Don't be so easily taken in, Harry," Neville told his compatriot. "Do I look like an Auror to you? And here I am." He had a point, Harry realised. Though he had matured since their early Hogwarts days, Neville still looked a bit chubby and naïve. Harry knew that he had also matured magically, though, and had been Harry's only real non-Hermione competition for top marks in Defense. A companionable silence hatched between them, each lost in his own thoughts.  
  
Shortly after, Cheshire ambled drunkenly out from the corridor that the Auror led the recruits down. His confident swagger missing, his group of girls didn't even notice as he tipped his hat and wandered around. Eventually, a witch at the sign-in desk got up and led him to the doors. Neville winked at Harry and took his own leave. Still waving farewell, Harry nearly jumped when a heavy hand fell onto his shoulder.  
  
"Potter!" The Auror yelled for good measure, while steering him to the corridor. Harry barely had time to gulp nervously before he was sat, just short of roughly, in a lone metal chair.  
  
"I don't assume, Potter. I want you to know that. Sure, I know who you are- we all do." The Auror waved his hand as a means of introduction, at three wizards and four witches standing in a semi-circle behind Harry's chair. "We know your dealings with the Dark Lord, and all that you accomplished in school. That alone would recommend you to us. What we got was mostly fact and a little hear-say. You know, and we know, Potter, that there's no test we could give you- no magical test- that you would fail. You wouldn't let yourself."  
  
"That's why," one of the witches approached from his side and took over the spiel (which seemed very well practised), "we thought we'd test your reflexes. In a very Muggle way."  
  
"Catch," the original Auror said as he tossed a box at Harry. Puzzled, he looked the box over.  
  
"This is your test, Potter. No magic. We need to know our Aurors can handle themselves if their wands are. unavailable, for one reason or another. Begin."  
  
Harry handed over his wand to the witch, who had her hand outstretched, and accepted a pair of scissors from another wizard. He opened the box and inside was a Muggle- toy? Bop-It. It was still in its original packaging, which he shortly discarded with the help of the scissors. He was glad they'd given him those- last time he'd had to open such packaging (Dudley made him after he broke the scissors), he'd done it by hand and had cut himself rather badly. As it was during the summer, he hadn't been allowed to use magic, and so had a small scar on the back of his left hand.  
  
Another wizard approached him and gave him Muggle batteries and a screwdriver. Harry accepted these with a nod of his head and set to placing them in. He almost laughed aloud at the mental image of Ron being given this task. He'd probably have failed out right there. The laugh was not made a reality, though, and Harry inserted the batteries. Quickly scanning the instructions, he discerned his task.  
  
"Let's hope you get one hundred within your first three tries, eh?" The wizard who had given him the batteries winked.  
  
"Let's." Harry mumbled to himself.  
  
"Bop it!" Harry hit the centre circle and began.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue: Harry Potter passed the test, obviously, and eventually he and Neville Longbottom became a formidable pair of Aurors, each reaching Order of Merlin, Second Class within four years of recruitment. 


End file.
